How to Make a Dating Website

Electronic media such as the Internet have become a popular matchmaking avenue.

The Internet has become a popular way for singles to find their match, whether for a long-term relationship or short-term dating. Dating websites mean that people who are looking for a significant other can now search for physical and personal features they find to be attractive, no longer leaving that special meeting to chance. There are a variety of dating websites accessible online. Before setting up your own online dating website, you should decide who to pitch it toward and how to design it.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• A telephone
• Computer with access to the Internet
• Bank account

1. Niche marketing to the elderly. Old street singer image by TekinT from Fotolia.com

   Do some market research by creating a questionnaire on being single and dating. This is best carried out in a heavily populated area such as a city, with a greater diversity of single people, including older people and teenagers.

2. Yoga-dating: a possible niche market. yoga image by Jiang Bin Ping from Fotolia.com

   Gather the information from your market research and identify a niche. Ideas to spark your creativity can include people who work shifts, athletes or even yogis, or those who have passed retirement age.

3. Use Internet searches to find a host site and domain name. hypertext transfer protocol image by Pei Ling Hoo from Fotolia.com

   Use an Internet search engine to find a host site for your website, and to set up a domain name. Deciding on what host site to use will depend on templates, bandwidth and user-friendliness. Also consider if you are willing to pay a small amount (about $10 dollars for a domain name) or if you want the website to be completely free of costs.

4. Research consumer protection legislation and make sure that your service meets its terms. Once you have done this, you are ready to build your website. Many host sites now give step-by-step advice for customers with no experience in web design. With only basic software skills, you can search for templates online and build your website in a few hours.

5. Use other Internet social networking sites to increase your traffic. networking image by Glenn Jenkinson from Fotolia.com

   Advertise your website by providing links to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Bebo and other social networking sites. These are invaluable advertising billboards for businesses. It is crucial to increase traffic to your site to take the lead in competition among other free online dating websites.

6. Advertise the website through niche networking also. Using the example of a free dating website for yogis, advertise nationwide and worldwide through yoga studio newsletters, magazines, and equipment retailers. Offer discounts and special offers to new customers or regular customers. Set up a link to a business bank account or to Paypal to facilitate income and expenditures.

7. Ensure that your site allows matches to contact each other. love,love,love image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com

   Enlist volunteer customers to create test profiles and registrations. Make a note of any difficulties or snags, and fix them using the host site toolkit. Ensure that there are no difficulties with registration or uploading attachments. Have your volunteers contact each other through the site to make sure that it is working fully.

Tips & Warnings

• Revenue can be increased by using businesses and sponsors from your niche market to advertise on your website, or to post blogs and articles. This will also enhance the user-friendliness of your site.

• Be sure that the web design and layout create a professional rather than a home-made look.

• Publish a page or a section of safety guidelines for your customers, including points on meeting up in a busy, public area until they are sure their match is trustworthy.

References

• Askobrankin: Setting up a Website
• Find My Hosting: Basic Guide to Web Hosting